Crate Digging: Mighty Mouse of Disco Circus

The eclectic DJ gives us a peek in his record bag

Mighty Mouse favours an eclectic DJ style picking the best of disco, house, 80s, funk and techno. He’ll be in Edinburgh as Disco Circus makes a very intimate Scottish debut

I didn’t plan to pick any of my own music, but I’m way too proud of this not to. Du Tonc ‘Darkness’ (White Label) is the first single from a new band I’m doing with Matt Van Schie (from Australian band Van She). It was quite a challenge because musically it’s very much like a live band with live drums, bass and guitar, so I had to engage new parts of my brain to mix it, but it’s still full of vintage synths and I think it’s a great song. My mum likes it so it must be OK.

I play a lot of old disco in my sets so quite a lot to pick from, but Shreikback ‘My Spine Is A Bassline’ (Y Records) is an instant floor filler and I never tire of it, I think it came out in 1982. The spine of this track really is a bassline, it’s shoulder shuffling music but although it has this repetitive bassline driving it along, the drums chop and change perfectly and it’s got a great vocal melody over the top.

I put a different version of this track (a Todd Terje remix) in the very first Disco Circus compilation, I didn’t think you’d be able to better it until I heard this version. It’s Dimitri From Paris & Los Amigos Invisibles ‘Glad To Know You (Ray Mang’s Flying Dub)’ (Gomma). It’s just under 11 minutes long, I do edit it down for DJ sets, but there’s no need to really, it’s perfectly listenable at this length. I love the song and emotion of this track, it’s always great to hear lyrics syncing with the music in dance tracks. Another timeless classic.

I just can’t stop listening to Magic Touch & Saphire Slows ‘When I See You’ (100% Silk), I find it quite psychedelic, I imagine a bunch of people in a field in the summer having their own mini rave. It’s lead by a classic 90s sounding piano and a trippy vocal, then some crazy flutes of some sort come in and it goes a little tribal. Crazy shit, perfect for the Circus and I’m partial to tracks that are a bit mental.

This track is probably my favourite dance track ever, or at least in my top five. Roberta Flack 'Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) [Steve Hurley House Mix]' (Atlantic). It’s infectious and I must have played it 1000 times. It sits on a very simple melody with little chord change, in fact no chord change thinking about it, but it’s effortless beauty makes it timeless. This is the track I wish I’d made.